What stands out worked out from the figures below

Webster has the most homeowners (59.8%).

Boston has the most people working from home (21.3%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Webster	Boston
People
Population	17,748Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	39.9±2.9Highest about the MA average	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	19.6%±2.9Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	19.6%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.3%Lowest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.8%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$72,895±$6kLowest 30% below MA	$97,344±$2kHighest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$361,500±$12kLowest 36% below MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,228±$81Lowest 30% below MA	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,999Lowest 33% below MA	$4,456Highest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.7%±6.7Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	12.7%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.8%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 5% above MA	30 minLowest 4% above MA
Work from home	8%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#271 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	Webster	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Bartlett High School	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.6Lowest	18.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.